Both the amount of fat and the balance of fats is very important. Fats represent a broad category of nutrients, just as vitamins and minerals are broad categories. Dogs need to consume the proper amounts of vitamins and minerals, all in a proper balance. Similarly, it is very important that dogs consume a variety of fatty acids – the basic components of fat – in proper amounts and balance. In an Ancestral Diet, the ration of omega-6s to omega-3s was between 2:1 and 6:1, within the range now considered optimum by most pet nutritionists.
By contrast, dogs today do not normally get access to such a wide range of balance of fats. Most typical commercial pet foods have fats that are unbalanced, incomplete, and, at times, rancid fats. Read, ‘Comparing Types of Pet Foods’ for more information on this topic. Poorly balanced fats are one of the major problems almost all commercial and most homemade dog foods experience.
The scientific evidence is overwhelming – dogs who eat the proper amounts of balanced fats, with a complete range of fatty acids, are healthier and happier. These dogs…
- learn faster,
- remember more,
- see and hear better,
- less skin, coat, and other inflammatory problems
- more coordinated
- less likely to be obese
- probably live longer than dogs who do not consume a proper balance of fats.